You are the eyes and ears of police

Monday

The public's help is crucial in helping stop the large spike in burglaries that have been occurring in the Central Bucks area.

The eyes and ears of the police worked Friday morning in Hatboro.

A Hatboro woman returning home about 11:22 a.m. spotted a car in her driveway on the 200 block of Pine Tree Lane that didn't belong and called police. Two police cars were at the house by 11:23 and two more by 11:24 a.m.

Police said the suspected burglar, Andrew J. Dooley, 22, of Hatboro, had seen the resident pull up to the house as he was ransacking the place, stuffed his pockets with jewelry and was about to flee when they caught him in the living room. Dooley was already facing trial on burglary charges and now police have added another set, Hatboro police said Saturday. Sgt. James Petrik said the resident called and police were just a minute away.

It's exactly the kind of quick reporting police want.

"Residents want to believe they live in an area they can leave their doors unlocked, but those days are long gone," Doylestown Township police Chief Stephen White said. "With the mobility of criminals we need residents to work jointly with law enforcement, to be the eyes and ears of police."

Buckingham Sgt. J.R. Landis said there's a spike in burglaries in Buckingham and Central Bucks since the fall, with 17 burglaries dating back to September that reach throughout the township. State police statistics for the Central Bucks area - New Britain, New Britain Township, Chalfont, Doylestown, Doylestown Township, Plumstead, Solebury, New Hope, Buckingham, Warwick and Warrington - show a spike from September to December 2010 over the same period in 2009.

And the area has seen an increase in burglaries and attempted burglaries from 153 in 2009 to 215 in 2010, based on the state police Uniform Crime Reporting System. New Britain Township and Warwick didn't show increases for the year, but all the other towns did.

According to the statistics compiled by state police, Doylestown Township went from 18 to burglaries and attempted burglaries to 42 last year; Doylestown from 19 to 24; Plumstead from 10 to 22; and Buckingham from 17 to 24. And Doylestown Township has had two more burglaries of unlocked homes this year.

Of the 1,480 burglaries in Bucks County in 2010 that have been reported to state police so far, in 570 burglars were able to walk in through an unlocked door or climb in an open window.

Area police are again stressing locking your doors and calling 911 immediately.

"When people have information or see something suspicious they have to call us as soon as possible, not after seeing it in the newspaper or on TV," Doylestown police Chief James Donnelly said.

Warwick police Chief Joseph Costello said residents also need to be aware of some burglars' techniques for explaining why they're knocking on a door, or attempting to distract a homeowner while someone slips in a back door.

"People don't normally ask for directions by pulling into a driveway; they go to a gas station," Costello said.

Landis said residents shouldn't be afraid to call 911 immediately because police are there to respond to suspicious activity. And with the spike in burglaries, officers on patrol are aware of the increase and ready to react quickly, Landis said. Two weeks ago police were close to catching a burglar when someone called and they were able to track him through the snow before he likely reached a waiting getaway car, Landis said. In that case a resident was home when someone - thinking the house was empty - tried to get in.

The resident called and police almost had their man.

"It is essential to making an arrest to get the information (to police) as soon as the witness sees something," White said.

That's why Hatboro police were successful Friday.

Matt Coughlin can be reached at 215-345-3147 or mcoughlin@phillyBurbs.com. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/coughlinreports.

Of the 1,480 burglaries in Bucks County in 2010 that have been reported to state police so far, in 570 burglars were able to walk in through an unlocked door or climb in an open window.

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